Asus Looking to Seize China Market with a Trio of Affordable Smartphones

Taiwanese PC maker Asustek will be releasing its latest ZenFones series in China as a means to expand its presence in the region and to compete against domestic brands, according to China Post.

The new smartphone series, which consists of three separate models (ZenFone 4, 5, and 6) are all powered by Intel’s newest processors, and run on Android 4.3.

The ZenFone 4 model will reportedly feature Intel’s Atom 1.2Ghz Z2520 chip, 4 inch WVGA display, and 4GB storage, and can be purchased in China for as little as 6100 RMB; The mid ranged, slightly larger ZenFone 5, on the other hand, is available for around 9100 RMB, and comes with a 5 inch 720p IPS display, 2Ghz dual core Z2580 processor, and 8GB storage.

The last smartphone in the lineup, the phablet sized ZenFone 6, features similar specs as the ZenFone 5, but offers a much more impressive camera (13 MP). The device can reportedly be purchased for 12000 RMB, which is about equal to $199 USD.

Looking at the Taiwanese company’s future prospects, the Hong Kong based market research firm, CLSA Ltd, recently forecast that Asus will ship around 3 million smartphone devices in 2014.